Rent increase shows need for rent freeze, says Labour’s Meenagh

Responding to reports that rents rose in Dublin by 6% up to the end of September this year, Labour councillor for Glasnevin Declan Meenagh said it showed the utter failure of government policy and the need for a rent freeze and more protections from eviction.

“This is the highest rate of growth in rents since the end of 2017,” said Meenagh.

“The failed policies of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil over many years have resulted in people paying record levels of rent with still too few protections from evictions.

“Young and single people are bearing the brunt of this massive increase in the cost of living, while investors and speculators profit.

“Rents in Dublin have had a  massive jump of 6% since this time last year.

“Ireland has become no country for young people, and despite many changes to the laws on rents, from this Minister and the last one all they have done is make small changes, always too little too late, without taking the deep imbalance between landlords and tenants.

“For years now the Labour Party has called for a broad suite of measures including a tax on vacant homes, a rent freeze, protection for deposits and restrictions the grounds for evictions.

“These unaffordable rent increases are unacceptable and unaffordable for the ordinary workers.”